Hand-operated stoker mechanism for furnaces



Aug. ze, 1924. 1,506,569

l J. J. BRIDGEF'ORD HAND OPERATED' STOKER MECHANISM FOR FURNACES Filed Dec. '14 w22 4 sheets-sheet 2 SW1/LM Jfrzzzfgefofd J. J. BRSDGEFORD HAND OPERA'IED STOKER MECHANISM FOR FURNAC Filed DBC. 14, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 26 1924.1

HAND OPERATED STCKER MECHANSM FOR FURNACES Filed Dec. 14, 1922 LSGLSSG J. EMDGEFQRD 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 @ittoznewi Patented Au. 26, 1924.

UTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. BRIDGEFORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO KEYSTONE REFRACTORES CO.7 INC., OF PHILADELPHTA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAND-OPERATED STOKER MEGHAINISM FOR .FUR-NACES.

Application filed December 14, 1922. Serial No. 606,855.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, lor-IN J. Berncizronn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Operated Stoker Mechanism for F urnaces, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to improvements in furnaces and in particular to hand operated stoker mechanisms therefor by means of which t-he fuel may be fed in a uniform manner progressively over the grate to insure efficiency of combustion with a minimum amount of waste.

These improvements reside primarily in a novel form of grate embodying` oscillating bars and actuating mechanism therefor adapted for manual operation, said bars being so arranged in series as to facilitate the progressive movement of the fuel thereovcr while permitting of ready manipulation by the attendant.

@ne of the important objects in view is to provide means associated with the grate construction for preventing the formation of clinkers and for looseningr up and moving the fuel bed on toward the discharge.

It is further an object to provide a grate construction comprising movable grate bars and stationary bars, with the latter of which are associated slicing members, the movable bars having actuating mechanism for imparting thereto oscillatory motion for the purpose of sifting fine ashes through the grate while corresponding actuating mechanism is adapted to impart vertical movement to the slicing members causing the latter to penetrate the fuel bed, breaking up the clinkers, opening up the fuel and at the saine time assisting in advancing it over the grate.

Yv ith the above and other objects in view. the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

fn the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical section through a furnace having my stoker mechanism applied thereto and shown in elevation, portions thereof being broken` away and shown in section to more clearly disclose the details of construction.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the grate and fuel feeding means.

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sectional views on the lines 3-8 and #4, respectively of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View showing in detail one of the slicing members and its actuating means.

Figure 6 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section of the fuel feeding means.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of one of the fuel feeders.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all of the views of the drawings, by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, and specificallyl describing this invention A designates the front or face of the furnace, B the ash pit and' C the bridge-wall which is suitably recessed to receive the rear ends of the side and center bearing supports designated by the reference character l. The forward ends of these bearing supports are suitably supported by bracket means 2 attached to the furnace front and extending over the forward ends is the usual dead plate 3 upon which the fuel is deposited prior to movement upon the grate in the manner hereinafter specifically pointed out.

Une of the features of these improvements is found in the provision of fuel feeding means which is constructed as a detachable unit. which may be employed or dispensed with as found desirable. The fuel feeding means comprises a cylinder or casing 4 which is provided with an annular flange 5 at its rear end adapted to slip into a pocket 6 formed in the fire door 7 which door is provided with a suitable opening coinciding with the end of the casing 4t. The outer end of the casing is suitably supported upon a standard 8 and a piston 9 is reciprocatably mounted in the casing 4 and adapted to be actuated by means of a hand lever l0 connected by a link 11 to the piston. A hopper 12 is arranged at the top of the casing and communicates: therewith, coal being introduced into Said hopper and allowed to lOJ fall into said casing from which it is ejected through the fire door of the furnace'by operation of the handle in an obvious manner.

The grate elements comprise the movable shaking bars 13 journaled in the bearing supports 1 in spaced relation to each other and intermediate stationary grate bars 111 which are of special form as specifically described hereinafter. The upper edges of the supports 1 are suitably notched so as to removably receive these several grate bars the number of which depends upon the size of the furnace, primarily. Each of the bars 13 is composed of a series of closely spaced and forwardly extending segments designated in Figure 3, 13 formed upon the shaft 13 and these shaking bars are designed to be given back and forth or oscillatory move-` ment in the operation of this stoking mechanism, which movement causes' the segments to rise, as depicted in Figures 1 and 3, into the fuel bed, thereby sifting the fine ashes through the grate and imparting a progresive movement over the grate which by virtue of the inclination of the grate in a downward direction tends to shift the fuel bed toward the discharge end of the grate. In order to obtain a simultaneous movement of these shaking bars I arrange them in series which are composed of a plurality of the bars and actuating means for each series. To this end each of the bars 13 is provided with a depending arm 13a having pivotal connection with the connecting link 15 which in turn has connected thereto an actuating rod 16 extending forwardly through the front of the furnace and connecting with an operating lever 17 at this point. Each shaking lever will take care of a series of the shaking bars, there being p-referably for each grate a front and rear section. Since these are all alike except with reference to the length of the actuating rods 16 therefor, the reference characters for these parts correspond, it being understood that the lever 17 will actuate the front series and the lever 17 will actuate the rear series. These levers cooperate with a bracket on the face of the furnace which is formed with a suitable arcuate slot 18 with which a pin on the lever coacts to limit the oscillating movement of the grate bars.

The stationary bars 14 lying intermediate the shaking bars are each provided with a plurality of guide openings 14 and in each of the openings is disposed a slice pin or plunger 19 which normally lies below the grate bed, as clearly shown in the right hand series of Figure 1 of the drawings. It is to be noted that these plungers or pins are provided with longitudinal passages therethrough indicated 17aL and this construction serves to prevent the pins from being seriously injured by the heat to which they are subjected and permits of the passage ofair through the pins. This hollow tubular formation is not, however, entirely essential. Each row of pins is connected to a slicing shaft 2O which is ournaled in the lower portion of the bearing supports 1, such shaft carrying arms 20 corresponding in number to the pins and each connected therewith by means of a. link 21. The slicing members are also arranged in operating series for the different series of shaking bars and to this end a series of the shafts 2O is simultaneously actuated by means of a rod 22 which is connected to a connecting bar 23 with which the shafts are pivotally connected by arms 24. The rod or'rods 22 for these series of slicing members extend forwardly through the front of the furnace and are actuated by slicing levers 25, 25. -Vhen these levers are moved forwardly and rearwardly the shafts 20 are rocked and the pins caused to move substantially vertically through the stationary grate bars and into and out of the fuel bed. The result of this action is to break up the clinker and to open up the fuel bed to better enablethe draft to act upon the fuel, and at the same time this movement of the pins assists in imparting a movement to the fuel bed toward the discharge end of the grate. It will be understood that each of the levers 17, 17', 25, 25 is operated by a detachable handle section (not shown), as quite common in furnace constructions.

At the rear end of the grateconstruction is arranged the dumping section or plate 26, which is normally held in a horizontal position by the coaction of a rod 27 with the furnace front through which it passe-s, said rod having a notch 27 therein for locking the plates in horizontal position. This bar is connected with the plate by an arm 28 so that when it is desired to dump the refuse which finally reaches the discharge end of the grate, the rod 27 is raised and the weight of the material, together with the eccentric arrangement of the mounting causes the plate to automatically dump said material into the ash pit. The rod 27 is tnen pushed inwardly and locked with the plate in horizontal position.

It will be understood from the foregoing that no poweris required to operate this stoker mechanism other than the manual actuation thereof by the fireman or attendant. All operations of the apparatus, such as feeding of the coal, shaking of the grates, slicing of thelire and cleaning the same, are under the control of the attendant and accomplished without opening the fire doors. I y

The coal feeders, in the event they are not to be used, may be slipped from the fire doors and a closure plate inserted in the pocket of the door under which condition tlie firing of the vfurnace is carried lfb) on in the usual manner by shcveling the coal through the opening when the plates are displaced for this purpose. In a stoker unit such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, there are provided sixteen shaking grate bars arranged in four sections or groups of four grate bars to each series and the slicing plungers or pins are similarly arranged in series as hereinbefore explained.

O'wingto the inclination of the grate the movement of the fuel bed downwardly toward the discharge end is readily accomplished by the movement of the shaking bars and especially the slicing pins.

In the operation of the stoker, each hopper 12 is first filled with coal and the lever l0 is then operated to push the coal through the lire door and upon the dead plate or the forward portion of the grate. The shaking lever of the front series of shaking bars is now moved back and forth, thereby shaking down the fine ash and closing up the holes in the fuel bed. The front slicing lever or that lever for the front series of the slicing means is now pulled, running the pins up into the lire or fuel bed, preventing the formation of the clinkers, loosening up the fuel bed and moving the fuel bed down the incline. At this time the shaking grate lever for the back series of shaking bars is moved back and forth, shaking down the fine ash and closing up the holes as described with reference to the front series. The slicing lever for the corresponding rear series is now moved running the slicing pins up into the fuel bed and out again until the fire is cleaned and loose so that the air will circulate freely through the fuel bed and effect complete combustion of the fuel.

To clean the lire requires only that the dumping plate 26 of the grate be dropped letting the ash and refuse fall into the ash pit whereupon the plate is pulled upwardly again into its normal horizontal position. These several operations may be independently carried out in their proper order so as to obtain a uniform feeding of the fuel over the grate and insure complete combustion of the fuel during its progress.

It is obvious that changes may readily be made in the details of construction of the instrumentalities of this mechanism without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In furnace stoker mechanism of the class described, an inclined grate comprising a plurality of rocking shaking bars arranged in series and projectible toward the lower end of the grate, means for operating the bars of said series at will, a plurality of plungers arranged at spaced intervals below the plane of the grate bars and mounted to penetrate vertically above said plane, and means for imparting substantially vertical movement to the plungers to cause the same to pass upwardly into the fuel bed.

2. In furnace stoker mechanism of the class described, an inclined grate comprising a plurality of rocking shaking bars arranged in series and projectible toward the lower end of the grate, means for operating the bars of said series at will, a plurality of plungers arranged at spaced intervals below the plane of the grate bars and mounted to penetrate vertically above said plane, means for imparting substantially vertical movement to the plungers to cause the same to pass upwardly into the fuel bed, a horizontally disposed dumping plate at the lower end of said grate, and means extending from said grate to the furnace front for normally holding said dumping plate in horizontal position and adapted to release the plate to discharge the fuel refuse thereover.

3. In furnace stoker mechanism of the class described, a grate comprising a series of shaking' bars, means for imparting oscillatory movement to said shaking bars, stationary bars intermediate said shaking bars having openings therein, fuel penetrating members guidingly supported in said openings for movement therethrough into and out of the fuel bed, and means for imparting in and out movement to said penetrating members.

4t. A stoker grate of the class described comprising side bearing supports, spaced oscillating shaking bars journaled therein, stationary bars intermediate said shaking bars having guide openings therein, a series of plungers supported in said guide openings normally lying below the plane of the grate bed, and means for actuating said plungers simultaneously to pass them through the stationary bars, said means being sustained by the side bearing supports.

5. A stoker grate of the class described comprising side bearing supports, spaced oscillating shaking bars journaled therein, stationary bars interi'nediate said shaking bars having guide openings therein, a series of plungers supported in said guide openings normally lying below the plane of the grate bed, means for actuating said plungers comprising spaced shafts to which said plungers are connected, and means for rocking said shafts whereby the plungers are caused to move through stationary bars.

6. A furnace stoker grate of the class described comprising inclined side bearing supports having bar recesses along the upper edge thereof, shaking bars journaled in said supports, means for connecting said bars together in groups, an actuating rod connected to each group for imparting shaking movement thereto, rows of plungers mounted between the shaking bars, an actuating shaft for each row of plungers journaled in the bearing supports and to which said plungers are operatively connected, and means for Aimparting simultaneous moveh ment to the plurality of rows of plungers whereby to cause the latter to move upwardly and downwardly through the fuel bed.

7. A furnace Stoker grate of the class described comprising inclined side bearing supports having bar recesses along the upper edge thereof, shaking bars journaled in said supports, means for connecting said bars together in groups, an actuating rod connected to each group for imparting shaking movement thereto, rows of plungers mounted between the shaking bars, an actuating shaft for each row of plungers journaled in the bearing supports and to which said plungers are .operatively connected, means for imparting simultaneous movement to the plurality of rows of plungers whereby to cause the latter to mo-ve upwardly and downwardly through the fuel bed, and guide means for said plungers arranged intermediate the shaking bars and disposed in the bar recesses aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN J. BRIDGEFORD. 

